We don’t know where the writer of this series gets the tricks, but the penultimate episode of The Veil topped the consistent cliffhanger highs we get each week.
One of the best written, directed and portrayed series this 2021 K-Drama season, it would be a pity for Korean drama fans to forego watching The Veil.
abbyinhallyuland watched The Veil on Viu
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | Final Episode + Series Review |
The Veil Episode 11 Key Moments
“That man is everything we couldn’t possibly imagine. Who knows he is up to something that can turn the world upside down.”
Under the order of Sangmuhoe, Director Bang instigates Baek Mo-sa to silence DC Lee through Chief Kim. Giving solid proof of DC Lee’s involvement to his abduction in North Korea, Baek Mo-sa settled his grudge. Thankfully, DC Lee survives through Ji-hyuk’s first aid.
Striking a deal to Jae-gyu, Ji-hyuk bargains he won’t get deported if he reveals Baek Mo-sa’s intention in South Korea. But the prisoner responds he’s going way beyond his league. He confesses about the villain’s significant worth as he has all the China border information which he uses in controlling gangs, drugs, counterfeit money and other illegal dealings.
Deducing Baek Mo-sa to be the crucial puzzle piece, he failed to determine a year ago, Ji-hyuk realizes how the man has orchestrated everything from the start. With that, he vows to stop him.
“I’ve lived my life carrying on the duties given by the organization. It was like my religion. If I didn’t have that reason, everything I did was nothing but violence.”
DC Lee speaks with Ji-hyuk about her regret for not being open to him. It would have avoided their current situation had she revealed everything to him. She blames herself for everything.
He responds about his utmost devotion to his job makes him validate what he has done so far to be legitimate violence. Asserting he’s done with it, he declares that everything he’ll do moving forward will be based on his judgment. He will also not receive any orders anymore. Owning her mistake on Baek Mo-sa, DC Do promises to catch him as her last duty. She also gives the go-signal for Ji-hyuk to do his own thing and get him at any cost.
Operation Capture Baek Mo-sa officially begins with a team of agents that will collaborate to apprehend him. Assuaging Je-yi not to participate, she refuses to assure him that she’s one with his vengeance-driven plan. She vows to stop Baek Mo-sa even if he turns out to be her father.
Getting a lead on how the CCTV hack was internally done, Je-yi’s techy friend Sang-kyu deduces the same malignant code used by Choi Sang-kyun. Je-yi senses something odd and goes to his place with Ji-hyuk. They learn how Sang-kyun was approached by a stranger through a messaging app and gave the malignant code.
They also infer that Sang-kyun has been lured by Baek Mo-sa to his grand ploy. Receiving a call from Chang-kyu, he reveals the virus code like the PDA program has also a unique signature that points to Choi Sang-kyun.
“Father, don’t you recognize me? Don’t you remember me? Come to your senses, please!”
Through Sang-kyun Ji-hyuk and the team go to the hideout. Inside the warehouse, the villains came prepared and had planted bombs. After a round of gunshots, Ji-hyuk finds Baek Mo-sa who triggered an even bigger explosion obliterating electronic and communication signals.
On instinct, Je-yi leaves Director Kang to go inside just in time when Baek Mo-sa points his gun at Ji-hyuk. Appealing to his emotions was futile, Je-yi ends up firing her gun at him as Ji-hyuk shoots two villains behind her. In the end, the wounded Baek Mo-sa still escapes the place.
Rushing Sang-kyun to the hospital, Je-yi recounts her encounter with Baek Mo-sa. Back at NIS, the mission was analyzed by DC Do and Director Kang. With a full-proof escape plan pulled off by the villains, they face another dead end. It was also concluded that the team was lured to their hideout.
Reaching a dispute on DC Do’s order to interrogate Sang-kyun after his surgery, the director pushes for prevention than letting it happen again. Thus, they need to work on the clue that involves the minor Sang-kyun.
Finally, Ji-hyuk sides with Je-yi and offers an old-school laptop he found in the scene that could provide information to them. DC Do relents but gives them five hours to check what lead they can be found from the laptop.
“He’s after me. Over a decade of grudges won’t disappear that easily.”
Je-yi works with Chang-kyu to find any leads in the laptop while Ji-hyuk browses on the operation photos and sees something familiar. At that same moment, Chang-kyu also finds something in the laptop related to Seoul National Cemetery. It coincides with the upcoming memorial event for the fallen NIS agents in Battle of Hancheng. DC Do, whose son died at the same battle, has consistently participated in previous events.
Hence, she deduces Baek Mo-sa is after her. She opposes halting the event and agrees to proceed as it could be the only chance they can have to capture Baek Mo-sa. Initially, she declined Chief Bang’s proposal to speak on behalf of the bereaved families, but she is resigned to act as bait for their mission.
Ajussi Myung-ki feeds Ji-hyuk the details of where the tattoed North Korean chemist has been moved. He visits him. Meanwhile, Je-yi meets the priest who called her about receiving a confession from what he perceives to be her father.
When Je-yi meets with Ji-hyuk, she shares what she learned from the priest. That her father could have assumed a different identity when the guilt about his friend’s death overwhelmed him.
“Ever since that point, everything started to get blurry. I don’t know if I killed my colleague or my friend with these hands that night. I started to realize this after I got out of there. I was willing to risk my life to protect the country, the government, the agency and the people. But I realized that everything that I listed was ruled by an invisible minority, and that we existed just to keep their power. “
She relays the conversation of the priest and her father about the grudge Baek Mo-sa has been keeping and how his end game ultimately goes to reveal the truth to the public. His fury about the agency and government whom people trust so much, he deems to be disrespecting life.
Explaining what he learned from a psychologist, Je-yi conveys how Baek Mo-sa could be suffering from a dissociative disorder after the traumatic experience he shared with his friend.
Ji-hyuk considers there’s a part of his father that is left in him that’s why he didn’t shoot her in the last encounter. He also assumes that she’s the only one capable of bringing back his father from his delusion. Knowing the weight of the mission, Je-yi asks Ji-hyuk to step in to stop his father, if she fails to do it.
Director Kang provides the mission details to the team on the memorial event day and expects snipers would be in place. Je-yi was asked by Ji-hyuk to trace a container van that could help with the mission.
Scattered to their respective positions, they work together while waiting for Baek Mo-sa to move. Ji-hyuk who was able to subdue the planted man of the villain finds a ticking bomb attached on his body. Meanwhile, Je-yi also finds the container van she has been tracking with the same ticking time bomb.
The Veil Episode 11 Musings
The Veil has conditioned us to be wary of small actions even facial expressions of the characters. Thus, we know that bringing back Sang-kyun is part of Baek Mo-sa’s elaborated vengeance scheme.
To be honest, Baek Mo-sa’s gruesome plan of using the bone of his friend’s body to escape their torture room haunted my imagination and also made me sympathize with him. Evidently, this episode made us understand the pain of the villain, which is something worthy to be understood, but undeserving to be reprieved.
Among the dramas I saw, this series was also the most meticulous in terms of utilizing the small, supporting and lead cast. There was no character that was indispensable in the series as the writing established all the characters’ connections fluidly.
This episode’s lesson put a spotlight on the sacrifices of secret service agents risking their lives, but not getting the amount of gratitude they deserve. Most often than not, they function as replaceable tools of the government and the agency.
Can Ji-hyuk find a way to stop the looming explosion that would impact a number of people? Can Je-yi survive her predicament? Did Sang-kyun have a change of heart?
Don’t miss the finale episode of The Veil! International fans can watch it on Viu. Final episode recap will also be included in the series review.
Photos/Videos: MBC
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